Bexley school keeps Halloween celebration

Sunday

Oct 13, 2013 at 12:01 AMOct 13, 2013 at 10:52 AM

Halloween will survive at least one more year at a Bexley elementary school that wanted to cancel traditional holiday events this year. Principal Jon Hood of Maryland Elementary sent an email to parents late on Friday saying that an annual costume parade and class parties will remain this year, reversing a plan to replace the events with a "fall festival" in November.

Collin Binkley, The Columbus Dispatch

Halloween will survive at least one more year at a Bexley elementary school that wanted to cancel traditional holiday events this year.

Principal Jon Hood of Maryland Elementary sent an email to parents late on Friday saying that an annual costume parade and class parties will remain this year, reversing a plan to replace the events with a “fall festival” in November.

“After significant discussion with all constituents in the Maryland learning community –– including parents, students, teachers and district-level administration –– it has been determined to offer a traditional Halloween celebration for this academic year,” Hood wrote in the email.

Hood, who did not return calls yesterday, decided to cancel Halloween parties after fielding complaints about them for years.

There was a religious element to some of the opposition, Hood said last week. But more often, parents complained that poorer families can’t afford elaborate costumes, and that ghoulish outfits gave young children nightmares.

Similar complaints have led schools across the country and central Ohio to replace Halloween parties with fall festivals. The event at Maryland was planned to include a service project and square dancing, among other activities.

But last week, other parents protested in support of Halloween. More than 160 signed an online petition to keep the celebration, and 30 filled a parent-teacher group meeting on Tuesday to support traditional events.

Parents offered to donate old costumes to help families who can’t afford new ones, and they suggested themed parties to keep costumes tame.

Among those at the meeting was Todd McEvoy, 39, who had planned keep his two sons home from the fall festival to do something “fun and scary.”

“I’m pretty happy with the decision for this year,” McEvoy said yesterday. “It’s just something that’s been going on for generations and I really didn’t want to see it go away.”

Beyond this year, though, the fate of the party and pageantry is uncertain.

“There will be continued opportunities for discussion for those that would like to advocate for an alternative ‘Fall Festival,’??” Hood wrote in the email. “Thank you to everyone involved for your valued input.”